Armey Backs Tea Party Rival Over Texas Speaker

FreedomWorks, the national tea party organization led by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, plans to endorse a Republican rival to Texas House Speaker Joe Straus in the state’s GOP primary this May, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

FreedomWorks has been harshly critical of Straus for not supporting a conservative agenda of reform efforts and has campaigned to replace him as speaker.

“Speaker Straus has not led the fight for limited government in a way that Texans want and deserve,” Armey, a former Texas congressman turned tea party leader, said in a statement. “Given a Republican super-majority [in the legislature], he should be doing much more to cut the size and scope of government, and to protect Texans against the federal government’s encroachments on our liberties.”

Armey is supporting challenger Matt Beebe, an Air Force veteran and businessman running on limited government, in the uphill battle by tea party conservatives to replace Straus.